Swimming is a Family thing...

When I was a young competitive swimmer I didn´t see swimming as a" family thing". I just saw records, victories and the Olympics. I remember that there were some "old swimmers" training with us during the morning workouts at McCale Pool in Tuscon, Arizona back in the 70´s. We thought they were very strange. Why did they get up so early "when they didn´t have too" and swim? Today I know better and I am probabaly as old or older than those pioneer master swimmers were then.

Two years ago I started to take my stepson Aljosha with me on some of my masters camps I realized that this was a great thing. He had fun, I had fun and it was with swimming! I thought that more people might be wanting to have "vacations" like this and I have now this type of camp in my schedule. Mothers or Fathers come to my camps and bring their children for a fun, meaningful and inspiring vacation.

Well, even grandparents could join! Swimming is the perfect sport for this since all can swim together regardless of age or level. Of course some will swim faster or more laps than the other but in the end we all end up at the same place :-).

Nowadays there are also competitions that have both junior swimming and Masters intergrated. I think this is great because this way parents and children can enjoy the competitive side of the swimming together instead of having one standing on the poolside "only" cheering! Last weekend my stepson Aljosha, his girlfriend Laura and I went to one of these meets in Kiel, Northgermany. It was the 34th International Weihnachtsschwimm, a very well competition organized by Alice and Gerd Krüger. We had an exciting day, each swimming their races, having their own challenges and in between races hanging out together.

And we all brought home some medals and records!